John Schneider recently signed Stephen Williams to a two-year $1.2 million futures contract worth $555,000 in 2013 and $645,000 in 2014. The 6'5 Williams has large soft hands, catches the ball away from his chest, and grabs passes in traffic. He ran the 40 in 4.50 seconds. He’s a touchdown maker with the ability to use his body as a shield and high point the ball. However, he lacks the ability to gain separation from defenders, lacks top-end speed and does not stretch the field. He also does not get many yards after the catch.

Williams is a gifted athletic that flashes talent on film, but the Cardinals could find a niche for him on their team. The Seahawks are the perfect fit for this young man – look at how we highlighted the strengths of Mike Williams and minimized his weaknesses.

Sounds like he could be a fit, all be it a project. But our WR corps is not such a mess that we don't have time to coach a kid like this up and ease him into the roster. Heck, we gave Tate 3 years (I was behind that BTW) to develop and look how he turned out this year. If this guy takes off faster, great.

As was pointed out above, our QB situation is much better than Arizona's has been the past few years. Any WR will have a better chance to succeed with a good QB throwing to him. This is the time of year when they start coming out of the woodwork, young guys looking for roster spots and a chance at the big show. Bring 'em on.

Talent can get you to the playoffs.It takes character to win when you get there.SUPER BOWL XLVIII CHAMPIONS

Does seem as though John Schneider has been circling the carcass for awhile. The praise this guy was getting from the Cardinals veterans has you wondering as well as the interest Seattle has had for him since 2010. I didn't think much of the Browner signing at the time and he turned out to fill a vital role with the team. I would imagine Mr Williams has a chance to make the squad as I am not sure Obo or Martin will.

The team has been trying to identify a big body receiver to complement the WR corp but Edwards and TO weren't the answer. Evan Moore as a #3 TE couldn't leverage his opportunity either. Only 5 more months before we start to find out.

May be a bit of a trick question, but it's still fairly valid. The comparison was Eric Decker catching passes from Peyton Manning vs. Larry Fitzgerald catching passes from Sclub-of-the-Month-Quarterback. I think that makes a difference, especially when one starts making suppositions of stats if the receivers were reversed.

World Champion Seattle Seahawks football. It's an addiction, and there is no cure.Les Norton - gone but never forgotten. Rest in blue and green peace, my friend.

Well, if Player BI would rather have Fitz over Decker. Evan Moore was as big as Jimmy Graham, bit I would rather have the one who can clap without missing.

This Williams dude didn't get cut because Ryan Lindley sucks. Just like Evan Moore had one catch even though Wilson is awesome. This notion that great QBs can make d listers into good receivers has got to go.

Don't get me wrong, I'm all for continuing the search for another big WR that can catch and run. If this kid pans out, great. He's not costing much per the post above, so nothing ventured nothing gained. I expect a draft pick or two to go to this search this year anyway. And I know, the QB matters, a lot. It is not a reach that this guy would do better here just because of the better QB play than he got in AZ. I agree with that premise.

Meanwhile, our WR corps is not that bad off, as I said above. He'll have a challenge to win a roster spot, as Pete will ensure. Apparently we've been following him and waiting for the opportunity to sign him. Cool, let's get it on.

Talent can get you to the playoffs.It takes character to win when you get there.SUPER BOWL XLVIII CHAMPIONS

It's all just a part of that bottom 1/3 roster churn that pete & john execute so well. If he's cream he'll rise to the top and if he's not; he'll get dumped with the rest of the crap and some new prospects will get poured in to go through the churn.

Always comPETE bitches.... Seattle is like SPARTA now.

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This guy might turn out to be nothing, but it makes me laugh out loud when people on this board brush off a signing without giving our FO the benefit of the doubt.

Seriously, how many times does this FO have to take a "nobody" player and turn them into a solid contributor before you realize that they can find some good players from the bargain bin? Even players that no other team wants?

Well, if Player BI would rather have Fitz over Decker. Evan Moore was as big as Jimmy Graham, bit I would rather have the one who can clap without missing.

This Williams dude didn't get cut because Ryan Lindley sucks. Just like Evan Moore had one catch even though Wilson is awesome. This notion that great QBs can make d listers into good receivers has got to go.

You're right of course, but I'd also mention that the snapshot comparison I made would also indicate that a crappy quarterback can make a receiver look a whole lot worse than they really are. We know Fitz is an absolute beast of a receiver, but put up very forgettable, pedestrian numbers when paired with a bunch of no-name quarterbacks. Paired with Peyton Manning, that match-up could eclipse Stafford-to-Megatron or Montana-to-Rice.

World Champion Seattle Seahawks football. It's an addiction, and there is no cure.Les Norton - gone but never forgotten. Rest in blue and green peace, my friend.

HawkFan72 wrote:This guy might turn out to be nothing, but it makes me laugh out loud when people on this board brush off a signing without giving our FO the benefit of the doubt.

Seriously, how many times does this FO have to take a "nobody" player and turn them into a solid contributor before you realize that they can find some good players from the bargain bin? Even players that no other team wants?

I'll reserve judgment until after training camp.

Tru2RedNGold25 wrote:Us as Niners fan have every right to rep Niners all day everyday when we have the hardware to back it up do can u guys say that???

HawkFan72 wrote:This guy might turn out to be nothing, but it makes me laugh out loud when people on this board brush off a signing without giving our FO the benefit of the doubt.

Seriously, how many times does this FO have to take a "nobody" player and turn them into a solid contributor before you realize that they can find some good players from the bargain bin? Even players that no other team wants?

I'll reserve judgment until after training camp.

+1I really have my doubts that there are many talent evaluators around here that can boast a better record for finding players that can light it up than Schneider or Carroll.Could he turn out to be a bust?, absolutely, but he could turn out to be damned good player as well.John Schneider just likes to Dig A Little Deeper for that diamond.

After reading that article, I'm actually pretty enthused, if not excited, about this pickup. If you are just replying, and didn't even read what was in the OP, you should read it:

In December, Williams injured his right Achilles’ tendon and was cut by the Cardinals, and John Schneider recently signed him to a two-year $1.2 million futures contract worth $555,000 in 2013 and $645,000 in 2014. “We got him,” Schneider was recently quoted as saying.

“It’s insane. It’s an absolute crime,” Cardinal’s Bertrand Berry said back in 2010 when asked how NFL teams failed to draft Williams. In the same 2010 interview, Larry Fitzgerald said that Williams may eventually replace him as the #1 receiver on the Cardinal offense. ”That’s a good thing to hear coming from a guy like that (Fitzgerald),” Williams said. “I’m learning from him every day, how to pick his brain and run routes like him and the different techniques he uses to get open.” Derek Anderson compared Williams to Josh Cribbs of the Cleveland Browns. ”Josh was one of those guys,” Anderson said. “He’s not a great receiver, but he’s a great athlete and probably one of the best football players I’ve ever been around.”

I know this doesn't mean much, and he was an undrafted receiver to begin with.... but this is promising. And we all know the terrible situation in Arizona- combined with John and Pete's knack for finding talent, we could have a case for something here. I'm not counting on it, but I am optimistic.

Dont get too excited about players that have on the surface seam like good players but just dont have the pedigree or track record to make it in the NFL.

My neighbor is 6'5", big dude, looks like he can run but I am not under any misconceptions that he could get the job done at the NFL level.

But, there's a world of difference between your neighbor (who I take is NOT a football player) and Stephen Williams - who IS an NFL football player with a track record. Isn't the average career just something like 4 years? He's halfway there man. He's been doing it (without a good QB.) I don't see anyone saying Williams is a lock or being overly excited. I think this signing is noteworthy without overstating it. Of course he has to prove himself valuable enough to make the roster. That will most definitely be determined. I'll say this about Williams, though. If JS is truely excited about him... I trust he's looking at the player's college body of work as well as the same consideration everyone squawks about with Larry Fitzgerald - that he would be much more productive with a QB that could get him the ball. He has been stuck on the same WR corps Stephen Williams is worth a look to see if there is more there with a capable QB to get him the ball. There was a buzz about this guy coming out of college into the draft. Tough to judge a guy on just 2 years in Arizona when there was plenty of things wrong about that offense. Williams has impressed at both the college and (though more limited) NFL level already.

Thanks to the original poster. I enjoyed reading it and can appreciate your cautious excitement when a player like this with potential gets signed for a look. We'll see if SW works out or if JS/PC find even better talent.

Stephen Williams probably won't pan out, but this signing shows one of the subtle things John Schneider does that makes him a brilliant GM. He signed Williams to a 2 year deal that pays Williams very close to the league minimum over 2013 and 2014. That way, if Williams actually has a good season in 2013, he's still coming back at a bargain rate in 2014. Pretty clever. Sign those desperate players to cheap multi-year deals while they are in no position to say no. He did the same trick with Brandon Browner.

I'm going to hope for the best. I like the potential but he might just be camp fodder, yes JS has had some huge signings but we've also had some total duds. Such is football, I just think it's premature to call this guy a replacement for Mike Williams who once caught 60+ passes.

I'm cautiously optimistic. Guys with big bodies that don't get great separation excel at 2 things:

quick slants where they can shield the defender, and jump balls.

Wilson doens't throw the quick slant all that well (yet).

Wilson excelled at throwing successful jump balls to 5'10" Golden Tate. If we can find a spot for him in this offense, I'm betting he can make an impact as a 1st down and red zone guy as a 4th or possible 3rd WR. Remember, the one constant with Baldwin is that he will get hurt. We need a solid #4 that can fill in for him.

Wilson excelled at throwing successful jump balls to 5'10" Golden Tate. If we can find a spot for him in this offense, I'm betting he can make an impact as a 1st down and red zone guy as a 4th or possible 3rd WR. Remember, the one constant with Baldwin is that he will get hurt. We need a solid #4 that can fill in for him.

What makes you say he doesn't get great separation? I haven't seen any real good vids on him, but dude apparently ran a 4.5 40 with a 2.52 20 yard split. That's pretty quick. Especially for a dude who's 6'5". Actually he's pretty comparable to Sidney Rice on the Al Davis "I only look at measurables" system. I'd be happy to have two Sidney Rices. Hopefully he can catch...

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Watching the highlights it's clear that this guy has talent -- very nice hands, gets good separation ... and that leaping ability (low whistle). Very nice. There were a couple of other things that I noticed with that video as well -- things that you could say could be potential strikes against him. The first thing that I noticed was that there looked like many instances in which he didn't get both feet down inbounds on routes to the sideline. Now those 1 foot in bounds catches work in college ... but not so much in the NFL. Also, he looks very lean and lanky in that film. That led me to wondering how he does against press coverage when CB's are really in his grill. I'm guessing not that well because there were no highlights of him fighting through press coverage off the line. So that might be a reason why he struggled against some when it came to going against some of those CB's from the bigger college programs -- just bigger, stronger, faster guys. One thing's for sure, we're going to find out just how well he does against press coverage in training camp, as he's going to be going against some of the best in the league in Brandon Browner, Richard Sherman, and company. There's a lot to like from what I saw there, but I'll reserve my judgment until training camp and the preseason.

It seems there might be a bit more there than the typical "camp fodder" as so many around here like to label. Really, how many times do we hear Schneider proclaim "We got him!" regarding run-of-the-mill camp fodder. Obviously someone they've had their eye on.

LawlessHawk wrote:It seems there might be a bit more there than the typical "camp fodder" as so many around here like to label. Really, how many times do we hear Schneider proclaim "We got him!" regarding run-of-the-mill camp fodder. Obviously someone they've had their eye on.

I agree with this line of thinking - it is also important to note that he may not have had much success with getting on the field with the Cardinals because he may not fit their scheme as well has he may fit ours.

LawlessHawk wrote:It seems there might be a bit more there than the typical "camp fodder" as so many around here like to label. Really, how many times do we hear Schneider proclaim "We got him!" regarding run-of-the-mill camp fodder. Obviously someone they've had their eye on.

Sure, but they "had their eye on" Jameson Konz and Riccardo Lockette too. Doesn't mean everyone they target is going to come in wearing a red cape and blue PJ's. As with every signing, I'll allow myself to be cautiously optimistic and hope for a Doug Baldwin "diamond in the rough" type story... but worse case scenario; we picked up a plaything for BB and Sherm to tear to pieces.

Either way we win!

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LawlessHawk wrote:It seems there might be a bit more there than the typical "camp fodder" as so many around here like to label. Really, how many times do we hear Schneider proclaim "We got him!" regarding run-of-the-mill camp fodder. Obviously someone they've had their eye on.

Sure, but they "had their eye on" Jameson Konz and Riccardo Lockette too. Doesn't mean everyone they target is going to come in wearing a red cape and blue PJ's. As with every signing, I'll allow myself to be cautiously optimistic and hope for a Doug Baldwin "diamond in the rough" type story... but worse case scenario; we picked up a plaything for BB and Sherm to tear to pieces.

Either way we win!

I will say this about Williams. Over the last several year's I've silently rooted for the Cardinals to NOT suck. They were like the loveable losers you see in shows. As and Idaho Vandal Fan, a former slot WR named Max Komar was signed by AZ as was Williams. So I watched all their pre-season games. Both Max and Stephen made the roster, but there was a TON of buzz surrounding Stephen Williams. At times he looked incredible.

I'm excited for this signing. Sure it may not pan out, but it's a young player with room to grow, which is much more desireable to me than washed-up vets like TO,Bryant, and Edwards. There's only 3 WR's really locked into the this Roster The other 2-3 spots are completely up for grabs.

LawlessHawk wrote:It seems there might be a bit more there than the typical "camp fodder" as so many around here like to label. Really, how many times do we hear Schneider proclaim "We got him!" regarding run-of-the-mill camp fodder. Obviously someone they've had their eye on.

Sure, but they "had their eye on" Jameson Konz and Riccardo Lockette too. Doesn't mean everyone they target is going to come in wearing a red cape and blue PJ's. As with every signing, I'll allow myself to be cautiously optimistic and hope for a Doug Baldwin "diamond in the rough" type story... but worse case scenario; we picked up a plaything for BB and Sherm to tear to pieces.

Either way we win!

Agreed, for sure... like I said "a bit" more than typical camp fodder.. and that's probably reading alot into Schneider's three word statement...

Do you think that JS' excitement at picking him up may indicate that picking a WR high in the draft won't be as high a priority? Or alternatively could it mean that he and Pete have identified the position as in need of upgrading so we'll be looking for a few other guys. Personally (and it's just a gut feeling) I think Williams will be on the roster this year.